Closet clothes protector



Aug. 11, 1959 H. MEYERS CLOSET CLOTHESPROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 22, 1956 INVENTOR. Q

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CLOSET CLOTHES'PROTECTOR Filed Aug. 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -22 2/ -*:E 2 0 f za' num 1 O (g C/ /23 (Ra/0 Min]. Q20 iii. 1 "/22 INVENTOR.

United states Patent 2,899,081 CLOSET CLOTHES PROTECTOR Irene H. Meyers, Livonia, Mich.

Application August 22, 1956, Serial No. 605,618

8 Claims. (Cl. 211-180) This invention relates to clothes protectors particularly adapted for use in closets and elsewhere where clothes are hung or stored on hangers hooked over and suspended from hanger rods.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective protector means to prevent dust from settling on clothes hung on hangers suspended from hanger rods, which protector means is positioned in spaced relationship over the hanger rod and generally extends across the full width of the closet in which the hanger rod is erected, the said clothes protector spreading in spaced relationship over clothes on hangers suspended from the hanger rod being flexible upwardly along its front edge or eave to avoid interference with the placing of the clothes hangers on or removing them from the hanger rod.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closet clothes protector with the aforementioned desirable features consisting of a few simple, inexpensive, easily erected parts, and having dust covers which may be readily removed for cleaning, laundering or replacement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closet clothes protector of the class described wherein a few sizes will fit substantially all clothes closets.

Other objects of the invention will become readily ap parent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the acocmpanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of a closet clothes protector embodying the invention with certain portions broken away to better show the construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the resilient ridge strip looped onto the apex of the end frame.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1 showing the ridge construction intermediate the ends thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing the eave construction intermediate the ends thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1 showing the end construction at the end frame.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of one of the end frames.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the closet clothes protector taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8 showing the relationship of the end frame and dust cover with respect to one of the end frame supporting brackets preferably employed.

Fig. 10 is a top view of an end frame supporting bracket.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the end frame supporting bracket shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11. i

fiice Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the closet clothes protector disclosed for the purpose of illustrating the invention consists of a pair of end frames 10 each supported in self-centering relationship on a pair of brackets 11 secured to the hanger rail 12 on opposite walls 13 of a closet or the like, an elastic ridge member 14 and a pair of elastic eave members 15 extending between the end frames 10 holding them firmly in the brackets 11, and a dust cover 16 telescoped over the said elastic ridge member 14, the said elastic eave members 15 and the said end frames 10 forming a tent like protector for clothes 17 hung on hangers 18 which in turn are hung on a clothes rod 19 extending between and supported by the hanger rails 13 at notches 20 therein, all as hereinafter described in detail.

The end frames 10 are preferably made of stiff Wire and have a narrow horizontal ridge 100, downwardly sloping side portions 101 and depending eave portions 102. The ridge and the depending eave portions 102 of the wire frames 10 are preferably notched or otherwise deformed as at 1000 and 1020 respectively to serve as means for positioning and maintaining the looped ends and 141 of the elastic ridge member 14 and the looped ends and 151 of the elastic eave members 15 properly positioned thereon. The said loops 140 and 150 are formed by adjustable clamping means 1400 and 1500 preferably of the type employed in garter or suspending construction, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The said loops 141 and 151 are fixedsewn loops. By using elastic tape or bands for the ridge members 14 and the cave members 15, any selected length of ridge and cave members may be adjusted by means of the adjustable clamps 1400 and 1500 to accommodate a single size of closet clothes protectors to a plurality of different widths of closets in which closet rods are mounted to accommodate clothes hangers.

The dust cover 16 may be made of any suitable material such as cloth or plastic preferably of a color and design to aesthetically improve the appearance of the closet. The said dust cover 16 has a casing sewn along the ridge thereof and a casing 161 sewn along each eave thereof through which the elastic ridge member 14 and the elastic eave members 15 respectively are telescoped, see Figs. 1, 4 and 5. The said dust cover 16 also has a casing 162 sewn along each end thereof into which the said end frames 10 are telescoped. If the dust cover 16 is made of pliable sheet plastic, the casings 160, 161 and 162 may be formed by means other than sewing compatible with the type of plastic material employed.

The maximum length. to which the dust cover 16 may be extended and yet permit the front eave and the ridge thereof to be flexed upwardly determines the maximum width of closet in which any particular size closet clothes protector may be used. For example, a 3648 size closet clothes protector will preferably employ a 52" dust cover 16 and an elastic ridge 14 and eave members 15 of a length that may be adjusted by the adjustable clamping means 1400 and 1500 respectively to the desired tautness when the end frames 10 are spaced anywhere between 36 and 48". In the example, the 52" dust cover 16 is suitably gathered longitudinally to accommodate it to the particular actual spacing between the end frame 10. The dust cover 16 is preferably always longer than the distance between end frames 10 so that there always will be some gathering of the dust cover 16 along the ridge member 14 and eave members 15 thereof whereby to provide convenience to the user of closet clothes 0 protectors embodying the invention by permitting the near placed on hangers 18 hung on the hanger rod 19 below the ridge of the closet clothes protector or when hangers 18 with garments 17 thereon are removed from or placed on the clothes rod 19 below the ridge of the said closet clothes protector.

The brackets 11 includea base strip 21 and upturned ends 22 having a re-entrant notch 23 formed therein. The said re-entrant notch 23 is preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 12 with a slightly restricted path 230' entering into an inner chamber 231 into which the end frame with the casing 162 of the dustcover 16 telescoped thereover is positioned. The restricted path 230 opens vertically as shown in Fig. 12 while the inner chamber 231 is located outwardly from the bottom of the said restricted path 230; The said brackets 11 have a plurality of suitably spaced apertures 210 in the base 21 thereof. At least two of the said apertures 210 accommodate screws 25 employed to secure the brackets 11 to the hanger rail 12 of the clothes closet.

A pair of brackets 11 are fixed to each of oppositely located hanger rails 12 by the said screws 25, the said brackets 11 being positioned on a slope parallel tothe slope of the end frames 10 of the closet clothes protector so that the flat ridge 100 of each of the end frames 19 is disposed two or three inches above the top of the clothes rod 19 as best shown in Fig. 8. When the brackets 11 are properly located on and fixed to opposite hanger rails 12, the end frames 10 with the dust cover 16 are telescoped thereover and become automatically self-centered with respect to the said brackets 11 and over the clothes rod 19. The length of the elastic ridge member 14 and the elastic eave members 15 are properly adjusted when the dust cover 16 is assembled onto the said ridge and eave members. The dust cover 16 and the elastic ridge and cave members 14 and 15 are then assembled on the end frames 10. After this has been done, the mere positioning of the end frames 10 with the end casing 162 of the dust cover 16 thereover into the re-entrant notches 23 of the brackets 11 properly stretches the elastic ridge member 14 and the elastic eave member 15, and completely erects the closet clothes protector ready for use. After being so erected, the longitudinal gathering of the dust cover 16 is adjusted longitudinally, particularly along the ridge and eaves of the closet clothes protector to give it a neat and uniform appearance.

Obviously, the dust cover 16 may be readily removed from the elastic ridge and eave members 14 and 15 respectively for washing, cleaning or replacement. When the closet clothes protector is in use, it may be readily lifted at its eaves and ridge to the extent necessary for the convenient hanging of clothes hangers 18 onto the clothes rod 19 and the removal of the said clothes hangers 18 therefrom. Also, any suitable stretchable material or combination of elements may be substituted for the elastic tape employed for the elastic ridge and cave members 14 and 15 respectively.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described herein, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the several elements of the invention, all without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a clothes rod and hanger rails supporting said clothes rod at each end thereof, a clothes protector mountable in spaced relationship over said clothes rod and supported on said hanger rails comprising a pair of spaced end frames having a ridge portion, sloping side portions and eave portions, a pair of brackets fixed in angular relationship to each other on each said hanger rail supporting said end frames centrally with respect to said hanger rod with the ridge portion of said end frames disposed thereabove, elastic ridge and eave members secured to and stretched between the ridge and eaves of said spaced end frames, and a dust cover including casings telescoped on said elastic ridge and eave members and said end frames, each of said brackets supporting said end frames including a pair of end portions having a re-entrant notch therein into which said end frames are retained under the tension of said elastic ridge and cave members when said end frames are positioned therein.

2. A clothes protector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ridge and eave portions of said end frames are deformed to locate said elastic ridge and cave members and maintain them in their proper location when flexed to hang clothes hangers on and remove them from said clothes rod.

3. In combination with a clothes rod and hanger rails supporting said clothes rod at each end thereof, a clothes protector mountable in spaced relationship over said clot-hes rod and supported on said hanger rails comprising a pair of end frames having a ridge portion, sloping side portions and eave portions, a dust cover including casings therearound and along the center thereof telescoped at its ends on said end frames, a pair of brackets each including a base and upturned end portions fixed in angular relationship to each other on each said hanger rail, said brackets being so located on said hanger rails and the said end portions thereof being so re-entrantly notched as to receive and hold said end frames with said dust cover thereon centrally with respect to said clothes rod and spaced thereover, elastic ridge and eave members stretched between the ridge and caves of said end frames, the casings along the center and sides of said dust cover being telescoped oversaid elastic ridge and eave members respectively, the said end frames being retained in said brackets under tension of said elastic ridge and eave members.

4. A clothes protector as claimed in claim 3 wherein the dust cover is longer than the spacing of the end frames and gathered along the elastic ridge and eave members whereby to permit the said ridge and eave members to be flexed and the dust cover lifted when placing clothes hangers onto and removing them from said clothes rod.

5. In combination with a clothes rod and hanger rails supporting said clothes rod in a closet at each side thereof, a clothes protector mountable in spaced relationship over said clothes rod supported on said hanger rails comprising a pair of end frames having a ridge portion, sloping side portions and eave portions, a pair of brackets fixed in angular relationship to each other on each said hanger rail having re-entrant notches therein receiving and supporting said end frames centrally with respect to said hanger rod and with the ridge portion of said end frames disposed thereabove, elastic ridge and eave members stretched between the ridge and eaves of said end frames maintaining said end frames in said re-entrant notches of said brackets, and a dust cover having casings thereon telescopingly receiving said elastic ridge and eave members and said end frames.

6. A closet clothes protector as claimed in claim 5 wherein the dust cover is longer than the spacing between end frames and is gathered along the elastic ridge and eave members to permit flexing thereof when clothes hangers are hung on and removed from said hanger rod.

7. A closet clothes protector as claimed in claim 6 wherein the elastic ridge and eave members are adjustable to accommodate a single closet clothes protector to closets of different widths.

8. In a clothes protector for clothes hung on a closet clothes hanger rod supported at its ends on closet rod hanger rails comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced end frames having a central ridge portion, sloping side portions and eave portions, means supporting said end frames on said hanger rails centrally in respect to said hanger rod with the ridge and sloping side portions thereof in spaced relationship above said hanger rod,

elastic ridge and cave members stretched between the ridge and eaves of the said longitudinally spaced end frames, and a dust cover somewhat longer than the longitudinal spacing between end frames including looped means telescoped over said elastic ridge and eave members and removably secured to said spaced end frames mounting said dust cover in spaced relationship over said clothes hanger rod and clothes hung on clothes hangers thereon, the entire clothes protector between end frames being deformable to permit its flexing during the placement of clothes hangers with clothes thereon onto the hanger rod and their removal therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 963,099 Wells July 5, 1910 

